US Customs Extends Global Entry Membership
Global Entry renewals have been taking an extremely long time to process this year. But if you are still waiting for your renewal application to be approved, then there is good news. If you’ve submitted your application and its status continues to say “pending,” your privileges will last a year beyond the original expiration date.
Customs and Border Protection has revealed they they are getting 7,000 applications a day. The backlog, which CBP said earlier this year totaled 300,000 applications, is now up to 350,000.
If you submitted your renewal before the expiration date and it still has not been approved, CBP has granted a year of extra time in which you may continue to use the benefits of the program. Global Entry gives approved applicants expedited re-entry through U.S. Customs and through airport security screenings. You can read more about it and other similar programs here.
The approval process was slowed early in the year during the government shutdown and then again in the summer when CBP personnel were dispatched to the U.S. border with Mexico to address a “humanitarian” and “security” crisis.
Global Entry
The program costs $100 for five years and gives you two separate benefits. Global Entry is designed to speed your way through Customs upon your return to the United States. Customers check in at a kiosk, complete a questionnaire, have their fingerprints scanned, then are directed to baggage claim and the exit.
It also includes TSA PreCheck, a program of the Transportation Security Administration that lets approved travelers go through security screening without removing their shoes, belt or light jackets or taking their liquids (3.4 ounces or less) or laptops out of their bags. This program alone costs $85 for five years.
You can read more here on how to get these programs for free through credit cards. If you’re looking to sign up, also check out this easy trick to get a quick Global Entry interview.
